Ramara Citizens ask: Would you live within 80 meters of a blasting quarry?

By Joan Mizzi-Fry, Ramara Legacy Alliance

11,000 video taped reasons to stop a new quarry, OLT hearing starts February 22, 2022

RAMARA, ON – On Tuesday, February 22, 2022, the Ontario Land Tribunal will convene via video a land use hearing to evaluate the application of Fowler Construction Limited’s quarry license application. The quarry is opposed by the Ramara Legacy Alliance (“RLA”) and Ramara Township.

The community of Floral Park, located on the shores of Lake Couchiching and approximately 8 kilometres north of Casino Rama; asked the Township to deny Fowler Construction’s rezoning application. Had it been approved, the new quarry would be extracting aggregate and blasting for another 50 years. The proposed new quarry is immediately next to the existing Fleming Quarry. According to Fowler, the current quarry has approximately 20 years of granite remaining. In total, they could be operating for more than 70 years.

According to Ramara Mayor Basil Clarke: “You’ve mined the rock you said you were to mine. We’ve honoured that deal. Goodbye.”

In August 2019, Fowler Construction responded to the Township’s denial by filing an appeal with the then Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (now Ontario Land Tribunal/OLT).

When Fowler Construction announced their application intentions in March 2018, more than 120 property owners in Floral Park and the surrounding community, began to organize their objections to Fowler’s application. The group named themselves Ramara Legacy Alliance (RLA) to constructively prepare for their challenge. Established in 1921, Floral Park continues to grow from the original hunting camps into cottages and full-time residents. Located within a two-hour drive north of the GTA, Floral Park is not a wealthy enclave. However, thanks to the generous donations from committed community members and local business owners, RLA was able to raise funds to hire veteran environmental lawyer, David Donnelly.

According to Tim Lett, RLA’s chairman, they’re not against quarries, just ones that are this close to a thriving community. In addition to the traffic issues, fly rock resulting from blasting is an ongoing concern. Says Lett, “A new quarry doesn’t belong here. Period. We have serious issues with the current quarry. They’ve been allowed to blast within 80 metres of family homes and approximately 220 metres of a designated waterfront to extract what they’re calling skid-resistant surfacing for provincial highways. Homes as far as a kilometre away experience the intense rumbling/rattling of a blast causing emotionally compromised adults, children as well as pets, to be upset. Several owners have reported property damage too.”

The potential threat of fly rock from blasting became reality for a former Floral Park resident, Kristy Spencer. In 1992, she lived approximately 120 metres from the Fleming Quarry with her husband and young daughters. According to Mrs. Spencer, they got used to the blasts, however, one day in 1994 after a blast, a rock weighing approximately 3.5 kilograms landed where one of her daughters had been playing earlier that day. That incident was too close a call for the family. They sold their home and moved.

LONG LEGACY OF COMMUNITIES OBJECTING TO EVER-INCREASING AGGREGATE EXTRACTION

RLA’s challenge is not unique or a recent phenomenon. For decades, other communities have been challenging excessive aggregate extraction. Volunteer-based organizations such as Gravel Watch Ontario (gravelwatch.org) are advocating for greater public awareness of the aggregate industry by acting as a source of information and mentorship for community groups, like RLA, looking to challenge a quarry license.

Recently, an organization calling themselves Reform Gravel Mining Coalition (reformgravelmining.ca) says the industry has enough sites to meet demand, and further expansion of quarries damages ecosystems and threatens endangered species. This group is calling for a moratorium on new quarry licenses like Fowlers’ until the provincial government and the industry show the need for extraction.

Since 2018, Ramara Legacy Alliance has video recorded numerous potentially dangerous traffic infractions as well as several blasting events where Fowler employees have stopped traffic as far back as 900 metres away from the existing Fleming Quarry site. According to Fowler Management, they stop traffic that far back ‘out of an abundance of caution’. This statement doesn’t sit well with Tim Lett, who doesn’t mince words, “If the blasting is so dangerous, then why the hell is it happening so close to residences, a busy traffic corridor used by hikers, cyclists, families walking kids, pets and a wetland with endangered species?”

Mayor Clarke whole heartedly supports the community. “There’s no reason why they (Fowler) can’t move farther north. There’s no shortage of granite. I’m really hoping the province and LPAT (OLT) will see the wisdom in that.” In addition to applying for a new quarry license, Fowler Construction’s is also requesting to come closer to Rama Road, the Floral Park community and dig deeper below the water table.

The Ontario Land Tribunal hearing is set to commence on Tuesday, February 22nd, 2022, at 10 a.m. for approximately three weeks. Public is invited to view the proceeding online. https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/304369917. The access code is 304-369-917

Email: ramaralegacyalliance@gmail.com
Website: www.ramaralegacyalliance.com